Chumming (American English from Powhatan) is the practice of luring animals, usually fish or sharks, by throwing "chum" into the water. Chum often consists of fish parts and blood, which attract fish, particularly sharks due to their keen sense of smell.Also known as rubby dubby (West Country and Yorkshire, UK), shirvey or chirvey (Guernsey, Channel Islands), burley or burlying (Australasia), and bait balls.Chumming is illegal in some parts of the world, such as Alabama, because of the danger it can pose by conditioning sharks to associating feeding with the presence of humans.